Winter Of A Heart
by Maj.Sam.Carter
Summary: Sam has agreed to marry Pete, and, despite being happy for her, Jack can't take it. He emotionally breaks down, causing physical injuries, and has 5 weeks with Sam babysitting. Sam and Jack finally realize their true feelings for each other. Chapter 11 up
1. The Decision

**Winter Of A Heart**

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, but I do own the story.

Ramble: Just so you all know, I despise Pete. I totally support Sam and Jack. But we'll have to see... evil smirk

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_No. This could not be happening. He would not accept that his worst fears had become real. _

Jack paced around his office, the door closed and locked so that no one could disturb him. He could feel tears burning tie back of his eyes, and a lump rising in his throat, but he refused to cry. He was a grown man, and he would not cry over losing a girl to some other guy. Especially at work.

He had just come back from his 2IC's office, where she had the weight of a proposal on her mind. Not that she hadn't been proposed to by numourous different alien men - and a few women - but this time it was different. This had been the guy she'd been going out with. And now, she was going to say yes.

Jack was torn away from his thoughts of Sam getting married to someone other than himself, when the door knob was tried and there was a loud bashing on the door.

"Jack... Jack, it's Daniel. Open up."

"Coming, Danny-boy. Keep calm."

Jack unlocked the door, and Daniel almost fell on top of him. He was excited, and Jack knew why. He dreaded the next words to come out of Daniel's mouth.

"Hey Spacemonkey. What's up?"

"Hi! Well, in a matter of months, we will be attending the wedding of, drumroll please...," Daniel was in a stupid mood, but Jack managed a lame drumroll on his desk, "Our very own SAMANTHA CARTER! Isn't it great? She's gone to phone Pete now!"

"Oh... That's so great. I bet she's really happy," Jack said flatly. He tried to be excited, but his heart was being torn to shreds, and he couldn't manage anything right then.

"Are you okay?" Daniel said, noticing the drastic difference in his friend.

"Yeah, fine. Just kinda... sleepy. I took some pills earlier for a headache."

Lie.

"Okay. Well, I'll leave you in peace so I don't make it worse. Call if you need me. I have my cell phone. Teal'c and I have downtime for a few weeks, so you know where I am." Daniel said, with concern as he walked out into the hall, shutting the door soundlessly behind him.

Jack just stared at the papers on his desk. He couldn't work like this. He felt sick. And dizzy. And then the tears came. And the rage, and pain, confusion, loss. It was all too much, and he blacked out.

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"Jack.... Jack..... Are you awake? Jack?"

"Eh..." Everything was coming so slowly. The words he heard didn't make sence in his head, which was pounding terribly. He tried to open his eyes, but the damn lights were so bright. Finally, he got used to the light, and could see almost normally, ignoring the fuzzy outline that everything now possesed.

"Good. You're up. How are you?" Janet asked.

"Ow."

"That doesn't help Colonel."

"Wha- what happened?" Jack slurred his words.

"No one's really sure. An airman heard a thud from your office, and went in to see if everything was okay, and found you on the floor, out cold. You've got a nasty cut on the back of your head, so you've got a few stitches."

"Great. Just what I needed." Jack said, folding his arms across his chest in the "grumpy-colonel way" as Sam called it.

Sam.

He remembered what happened. All the emotions, all the pain, the memories, it all came back, everything. It was too much, too soon. He cried out loud, startling Janet. When she looked down at him, he was gone again. She telephoned Hammond and got him down there fast.

As Hammond got down, he rushed to Janet.

"What's wrong with him Doctor?"

"I'm not exaclty sure. I've been getting readings of increased heartbeat, and I think he's been having nightmares. He keeps blacking out. It might've been that bump on the head. I want him to be driven home and have someone look after him."

Hammond walked over to Jack's bed. He got him to wake up from his nightmare in a matter of seconds. This was so unlike Jack. Hammond knew the perfect person to help heal his best team leader.

"Colonel, you're to be taken home and rest there for as long as Doctor Frasier says. And then take another week downtime. And that's an order. I can't have my people blacking out at random times."

"General, thank you, but... I was..." How was he going to explain this. He couldn't go telling Hammond that he had feelings for Sam, and he had, well, an emotional breakdown over her.

"Don't want to here it Colonel. I'll get Major Carter to drive you home, seeing as Daniel and Teal'c are off base," Hammond sighed, "This is exactly what I don't need."

And he set off to find Carter. Of course, he wouldn't tell Jack of Carter being in charge of taking care of him. He'd leave that to Janet.

"Now, Jack, I'm giving you four weeks off. I'm not happy with what's happened and I want you fully and properly recovered. Plus you get an extra week downtime. I don't want you to do any heavy lifting for the next two weeks. Might strain yourself. I want you to rest and stay in bed. I don't-- Jack! Are you listening to me?!"

"Err... Wha- Yeah! I'm listening Doc. I heard every word."

Janet grinned. At least he was the same old Jack. He probably would end up killing himself. But that was just him.

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"Major Carter. A moment please?" General Hammond knocked on the door frame to Sam's office.

"Sure thing, Sir," Sam said, standing up in respect for her Commanding Officer.

"I'm sure you've heard of Jack's accident by now--"

"He had an accident? Is he okay?" Fear now replaced the warmth in her eyes.

"Well, he's been better. Anyway, he's got about 5 weeks to recover, and he can't drive himself home. He also needs a "babysitter", if you will. I would like you to do it. I would have asked Daniel or Teal'c, but they're on downtime for a couple weeks. And Jack will cooperate with you," Hammond said, "And, this once, don't worry about reports or anything. I heard your good news. I'm sure you'll have plenty of work planning your wedding as well as taking care of Jack."

"Yes Sir. Thank you Sir," Sam said, almost looking forward to a break. And planning her wedding.

"Well, we'd better get Jack home. You know what he's like when he's pissed," General Hammond smiled.

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Sam pulled into the driveway of her CO's home. It was only 6:30pm, but it was already getting dark. She looked over to the passanger seat and the man sitting in it. Fast asleep. She smiled. He looked so innocent, and vulnerable. And hurt. Or was that just her. Sam hung her head. Yes, she was thrilled about her engagment to Pete, but there had always been that spark between her and Jack. She did love him, but it wasn't worth it. It would ruin both their jobs and friendship. When she had a husband, she would forget about the love that had always been there. She would forget those times when they had admitted their true feelings and kissed--_ No! Don't go there._

She looked back up at the sleeping man beside her, and knew that she would always love him, no matter what.

He stirred. Murmurd something. Whimpered. Spoke aloud, "No... why him? Why him? You know I love..." and he faded back into his dream. Sam was taken aback. No, he didn't really feel that way. He was just disoriented from this afternoon. And anyway, it could've been a dream about anyone, not nessicarialy her. But in the back of her mind, she hoped it was her that he was dreaming.

She eventually woke him some ten minutes later, after calling Pete and telling him that she would be caring for Jack for the next few weeks. Jack reluctantly opened his eyes and Sam helped him out of the car. She helped him into his room and put him safely under the covers. The moment Jack's head hit the pillow, he was asleep. Sam listened to his rythmic, soft snoring. She had the overwhelming urge to cradle him in her arms. And then she remembered Pete, and the regulations. She walked out of his room and went into the kitchen and started making coffee. She just needed to relax and sort herself out.

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Jack woke up very slowly. His head was throbbing uncomfortably, and his body ached. His eyelids didn't seem to want to open, but he finally got himself sitting up in bed. He looked at his clock. 9:00am. He was late for work! And then he remembered.

_"God, I must have really hit my head. But it does feel nice to know you have 5 weeks with no work." _He grinned to himself. _"Wait a second. I'm at home. How'd I get here... Oh no. THEY GOT ME A BABYSITTER! Oh God. It's going to be someone I hate." _Jack swung his legs out of bed, and slowly pulled himself up. Swaying a little, and grimacing at the pain in his body, he made it to the door and through the kitchen. He saw Sam curled up and asleep on the sofa. He smiled to himself, glad to have her near him.

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A/N: Okay, well that's it for this chapter. Obviously. Hoped you enjoyed it. Please review. Will post another chapter soon.


	2. Going Home

**Winter Of A Heart**

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own these characters. I would like to, but I dont. But I do own the story. So ha!

Ramble: Okay, so one review is good enough for me. Thanks to froggy0319 for reviewing! I hope more people read this and review (please!)

And now for chapter 2!

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Sam awoke to the sound and smell of bacon. She looked around, dazed at first, and then remembering why she was there. Glancing at the empty coffee cup on the table next to the sofa, she realized that she was starving, and got up. Jack was at the stove making breakfast.

"Hey. You're not supposed to be up!" Sam said.

Jack jumped about 3 feet in the air. He whirled around, and swayed violently. Sam grabbed him around the waist, and held him, gently rubbing his back.

"God, you scared me." He whispered, clinging to her so he didn't fall over.

"I'm sorry, Sir. But you know the orders, and you have 5 weeks off for a reason. We're going to get you back into bed, and you're going to stay there. Have you had breakfast?"

Jack shook his head, then swayed again.

"Ugh. I feel terrible. But I don't want to go to bed." Jack protested. He would fight all the way, and they both knew it.

"I don't care, Sir. We're not on base anymore, and I'm in charge, so you're going to do as you're told." Sam said, as sternly as she could. "Oh, and seeing as we're not on base, I would like you to call me Sam please. She thought it was hilariously funny to see her CO under her control. _"This could be fun."_ She thought.

They staggered into Jack's room, Sam holding him up to make sure he didn't collapse. She made him lean on her as she pulled his sheets all the way back (seeing as he hadn't made his bed) so she could get him into bed. She gently laid him down, Jack letting her control his body. His eyes fluttered but he still had a firm grip on her arms. She brought his body up to hers and cradled him like she had wanted to the night before. He could feel himself drifting off to sleep, but not before two tears escaped his closed eyes. As Sam laid him back down, she saw his tears glistening on his calm face. She wiped them away, and placed a light kiss on his forhead. She hadn't know that he was still awake, and that his tears where there because he knew he could never have her.

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Sam sighed to herself. She hadn't bothered with breakfast. The bacon had burned, and, knowing her cooking tecniques, she wasn't going to try and make some more. She was frustrated and confused. Why had she let herself do that? For heavan's sake, she was getting married. But at the time, she couldn't hold back all the feelings she had ever had for Jack O'Neill. While she wasn't married, she would allow herself to do those small things, when he was asleep, of course. Just then, her phone rang.

"Carter."

"Hey Sammie, baby."

"Hiya, Pete." Sam replied. Although she knew she had to keep her mind off Jack, she wasn't in the mood for talking on the phone.

"So, how's it goin'?"

"Oh, it's been really... good. I woke up just a few minutes ago. Jack was out of bed, so I had to get him back to bed, and he's sound asleep now."

"That's great, honey." Pete said, not sounding the least bit interested. Sam heard a voice in the background, and Pete, thinking Sam couldn't hear him said "It's nobody. Just my wife."

"Is that all I am? A nobody? Just the wife? I'm not even your wife yet Pete!" Sam exclaimed to a very surprised, and scared, Pete.

"No honey. It's not true, baby. I didn't say that. I didn't say anything." His answer was rushed. Sam rolled her eyes.

"I wasn't born yesterday, Peter." And with that, she hung up. And turned her phone off.

She crossed her arms over her chest and fumed.

_"Jesus, I don't know what I even see in him. Why did I say yes? God. If that's what he really thinks of me then-- Wait, no. Calm. Think calm. Arguments happen. That's no reason to have second thoughts on marriage. He probably didn't know what else to say. No reason to loose your head, Sam." _Even as she told herself this, she was still mad as hell to be referred to as "Just the wife."

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A/N: That's all for now. Sorry it's short, but it's 3.15 in the morning and I'm tired. Little intimate moment with Sam and Jack there. :) Don't worry. More to come. LOTS more. Hope you enjoyed that too. Please review! I need motivation.


	3. Thoughts

**Winter Of A Heart**

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own these characters. I wish I did, but I don't. But the story is mine! All mine! I am special.

Ramble: Okay, I was surprised at how many people reviewed! Thank you so much, especially to froggy0319, GLE, Gillian, and of course Dani for reviewing! I am soo happy that you all like it, and I am also happy that I get to write three chapters in one weekend. (I like writing). Next week, it might be a little hard for me to post another chapter, considering I have school, homework, and other things. So, just in case I don't get time to update, I will make this a long chapter.

And now for chapter 3!

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Jack had finally fallen into a restless sleep. He was in his usual nightmares, but this one was the worst he had had so far.

**In dream world **

He and the team were on a mission to a desolate world, all cliffs and flat ground. There was no sign of life, plant or alien. They spread out, seeing if any of them could find something. Sam's voice crackled over the radio.

"Sir, I think there is something over the edge of the cliff."

"Okay, Carter. Stay put and we'll come. Daniel, Teal'c, did you hear?"

"Indeed O'Neill." Came Teal'c reply.

"Yeah, be there in a minute, Jack."

Jack started to make his way to the edge of the cliff where Sam was standing, careful not to lean too far over. He heard Teal'c and Daniel running to catch up with him. They appeared on either side of him, and they walked the rest of the way to Sam. Just as they came up behind her, she screamed and doubled over, as if in pain. Fear swept over Jacks body, and he rushed to her side. But he was too late. She was already falling, and everything faded into darkness. Jack stood alone in the dark, when he saw two motionless figures in front of him. He didn't want to look, afraid of what he'd see, but he looked anyway. There was Sam, her face pale and scared, eyes closed and the glint of a single tear on her cheek. Jack moved his gaze to the body next to her, seeing Charlie. He was on his side, eyes shut in pain, and Jack could see where the bullet had entered him, despite the lack of blood. He broke down. He fell to his knees, screaming and crying, feeling as though his heart had been ripped out. Here before him were the two people he loved more than anything else, and they were gone. Out of his reach. Jack crawled over to Sam's side, and brushed her limp hair away from her fair face. His tears stained her skin as he kissed her gently on the lips, one last time. She was cold. He sat back into the darkness, and sobbed. He was really alone.

**Out of dream world**

Sam heard Jack's cries, moans, and muffled screams from the living room. She rushed into his room, quietly opening the door. He was asleep, and she wondered for a moment weather or not to wake him. She caught a glance at his red, tear stained face, and was at his side in a matter of seconds. She caught his hand and stroked his hot face with her free hand. He whimpered and cried.

"Shhh… It's okay. I'm here. Shhh…"

Jack slowly opened his eyes, blinking back the tears that were still forming. He was confused. The dream had seemed so real, it really felt like he had lost her. His heart and been torn to pieces, but seeing her there was helping him.

"Sam… Is it really you? Are you okay?" He said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Jack, you were dreaming. I'm fine. It's okay now. I'm here for you." She said, soothingly.

He was shaking despite her presence, and he was still absolutely confused. Sam, knowing that nothing would happen, laid down next to him. He was hot, but shaking. He snuggled up to her, his face in the crook of her neck. She put her arms around him, and held him until he calmed down.

"I lost you." He managed to say after a few minutes. Sam pulled away. He looked in her eyes, sadly.

"No. I'm right here. And I'm going to stay with you until you get better. I'm not going anywhere." She said.

"No. In my dream. You were… dead. And I couldn't get to you in time, and I saw you falling. Then I saw you and Charlie… both dead and it was more than I could handle. I felt like I had failed you, and I felt responsible, and, well… I just lost a major part of my life. No pun intended." He smiled weakly.

Sam giggled and got up off the bed. "I'm going to get you something to eat and drink. You need something in your stomach. And don't worry about the nightmares, Jack. You're still getting over the accident and it's going to be hard sometimes. You're probably going to have a lot more nightmares considering what your head's been through." And she turned to go get him something to eat.

"_Only thing is," _Jack thought,"_I've been having nightmares about loosing you for a long time. And now, they're coming true."_

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After a week, Jack was able to slowly walk around the house. But it wasn't long before he started getting dizzy and having to sit down. Since Hammond had given them nothing to do, they had a lot of time to catch up with things. They would talk for hours about nothing in particular, watch The Simpsons or a hokey game, maybe order pizza, although Jack still wasn't eating much, and maybe a movie here or there.

It was Saturday, and Daniel and Teal'c had agreed to come over and baby sit for a while. Jack said that Sam needed to get out for a while, and though she didn't like leaving him, she agreed. They came at 9.30 in the morning, and Jack was still asleep.

"You guys can watch TV or read or what ever you want to do. Jack will be up soon, and he probably won't be hungry, but try to make him eat something. I know he'll appreciate having someone else to talk to besides me. I'll be back around 5-ish."

"'K, Sam. Have fun." Daniel said.

"Indeed Major Carter." Teal'c added.

Sam smiled. "See ya guys."

Just as she pulled out of the driveway, Jack appeared in the hall.

"Hi Teal'c! Hi Spacemonkey!" He said.

"Good morning, O'Neill." Teal'c said, with a hint of a smile.

"Morning Jack. Don't call me Spacemonkey." Daniel grinned.

"So," Jack started, "What do ya wanna do?"

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Daniel took Jack aside while Teal'c busied himself with making lunch.

"Jack, what's up? I know that clunk on the head might have knocked you a bit off, but you're just not you." Daniel was looking at him funny. Like he knew something.

"Uh… nothing's up. I'm fine. Honestly." Jack tried to sound convincing, but it obviously didn't work on Daniel.

"Yeah, Jack. Like I'm going to believe that. Tell me. You know you can trust me."

Jack sighed. It was hard to keep a secret that wanted to be known. But he felt he could trust Daniel.

"It's not easy for me to say this Danny-boy…"

"That's okay. Take your time. I'll listen."

"Okay. Daniel, I think I have feelings for Sam." Jack said to the floor. He was sure he would appreciate the floor's answer rather than Daniel's.

"You _think_?" Daniel said, raising an eyebrow. Jack looked up to see a slight grin on his friends face.

"Fine. I do." Jack said quietly.

"I knew it. I knew it." Daniel said, his grin now fully spread across his face.

"Shut up. This is serious. For Christ's sake, she's my 2IC. And what's worse is she's getting married!" Jack buried himself in his hands.

"Jack, I bet Sam only accepted that proposal because you told her to." Daniel said. Jack looked up.

"Anyway," Daniel started as he walked back to the kitchen, "You never know what could happen in 5 weeks." He grinned, and left Jack with that thought weighing heavily on his mind.

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A/N: Okie, that's it for this. Daniel brings up a good point. Yay Danny! Please review, and thanks to all those who have


	4. Realizations

**Winter Of A Heart**

Disclaimer: Okay. We all know these brilliant characters are not mine…tear. If they were, Sam and Jack would have been together _long_ ago.

Ramble: Yeah, so, I said my last chapter would be long, and I don't think it was, so I will write this as fast as I can because you deserve it. **Thanks a million to all my reviewers for the good comments and tips! I love you all, and you're what keeps me writing.** Sounds kinda corny… but hey. But anyway, today, I had a doctor's appointment today, and I have a fractured rib, and possibly a bruised liver.... ew

**Here's to Gen**: HANG BLOODY ON! Did I tell you I was giving him an alien disease type thing? Coz I don't remember, and that just might make you physic. Heh. I am getting to all that stuff. No one gets sick from being emotionally drained and fainting. I would know. But I think I might bring a few things up before I had hoped to, like you said. ANYWAY, you will just have to wait for the other stuff. So there. Heh. Love you lots too!

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When Sam came back home, Jack was asleep again. His pain medication was really strong, and he often couldn't stay awake more than a few minutes after taking it. Seeing as he had fallen asleep on the sofa, Teal'c carried Jack back into his room. That had definitely saved Sam a lot of trouble. She had had fun that day, being out for a while and meeting up with Pete for an hour before he had to get back to work. But she hadn't liked to leave Jack. She felt if he was to have another nightmare, it was her fault. According to Daniel, everything had been perfectly fine. When she came in, she found Daniel and Teal'c looking in her wedding magazines, agreeing or disagreeing with her choices. They looked up as the door shut, and grinned guiltily.

"Hi guys." Sam had a dangerous tone in her voice, but they knew she was just playing.

"Hey Sam. How ya doing?" Daniel smiled wickedly.

"I'm fine. Feeling refreshed and ready for another week. How was Jack? Did he eat anything?"

"Yeah, a little. Teal'c made some macaroni and cheese and made Jack eat at least half of it before he could leave the table. You should have been here, it was hilarious." Daniel said, smiling.

"Aw, he probably had a great time. Thanks so much for coming to be with him. I bet he didn't even know I was gone." Sam said, hinting a little sadness as she said it.

"Now you know that's a lie, Sam. He didn't say anything, but you could just tell. He's not the same without you." Daniel smiled. He definitely knew that Jack had missed Sam, and he also knew that if he told Sam, Jack would probably come round and shoot him. But Jack hadn't said anything about _hinting_.

"_God, he is so going to kill me for this. But, if he ever wants a chance with her. This is it. If there's anyone Sam would stop a marriage for, it would be Jack."_

"I got him to talk a little about his feelings, considering that feelings is where his problem started. Although he is absolutely, tremendously happy for you and Pete," _Big lie_, "He said he felt like he was loosing you… in a way."

Sam looked at him oddly. What exactly was he hinting? But she found it would have to wait, as Teal'c suddenly called Daniel.

"Daniel Jackson! We must leave. We have a meeting in half an hour."

"Coming Teal'c. Thanks for letting us come, Sam. I'm sure Jack will be fine with you looking after him." He turned and walked out the door, leaving a very silent, and very thoughtful Sam behind.

"Thanks Teal'c. I don't think I could've gotten myself out of that without explaining about Jack's feelings." Daniel said guiltily.

"It was not a problem. I hope that Colonel O'Neill will find it in himself to tell Major Carter his real feelings. Love should not be ignored."

"I hope he tells her too. Love shouldn't be ignored."

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**At the SGC**

"Get General Hammond down here now!" Janet shouted at a nurse.

Hammond was in the infirmary in a matter of minutes. He had to be, or Janet would have his head.

"What is it, Doctor?" Hammond said as he came up next to her.

"Look at this." She said, pointing to something on an x-ray picture.

"Err… I still don't know _what_ it is, Doctor. I can't see anything there. And who's lung is this?" Hammond was impatient. He had to get a lot of work done, considering that SG-1 would be gone for some time.

"Sir, it's a very tiny alien… chip. This might be what's causing everything. It's so small, I must have missed it when I looked at the x-rays the first time. I know it can't stay there if it's having these kind of effects, but it could be tricky to get out, considering it is in the lung…" Dr. Frasier started talking to herself, "This is not good." She sighed.

"Doctor, I am still waiting to find out who this is." Hammond said, pointing at the x-ray, though he already had a feeling of who it might be.

"It's Jack O'Neill, Sir." Janet said, looking at the floor.

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The phone rang, waking Sam just as she had nodded off. She debated whether or not to pick it up, but ended picking it up, just in case it was important. It was.

"Hello, O'Neill residence." Sam said in a very official voice.

"Hey Sam. It's me." Janet sounded worried. Sam picked up on it right away.

"What's wrong Janet?"

"The day Colonel O'Neill collapsed for the first time, I took some x-rays to see if there were any broken bones. I was going over them again today, because I thought it was unreasonable for that much damage to come from a breakdown, and I saw something unnatural in the side of his right lung. It's like nothing I've ever seen, so it must be alien, and I'm afraid that this is probably what is causing him these blackouts."

Sam's heart sunk. She had thought that the Colonel was getting better. But this was only getting worse.

"I'm going to have to remove that, but seeing how his body is responding to this thing while it's inside, I can't tell how he's going to be after the operation." Janet said sadly.

"But if you take it out, he'd go back to normal. His body would keep working without it." Sam was saying it more to comfort herself, rather than to argue Janet.

"I'm afraid not, Sam. I've found that this thing is kind of working like a drug. After a while, the body starts to rely on it. I don't know why exactly, but it's going to be a long hard road. I want you to bring him back to the base two days from now. Tomorrow, you'll have to tell him and get your stuff ready to come here for a while. General Hammond said while the Colonel is here, you can work for a while," Janet paused, waiting for a response.

Sam didn't say anything.

Janet continued, despite the silence, "I've got to go, more injuries. I'm sorry Sam. But as long as Jack has you there, he'll make it through." And she hung up.

Sam put the receiver back down. She wished she had never picked up the damn phone.

She sat back onto the sofa, now her bed, and picked up the lonely magazine lying on the coffee table. "MODERN BRIDE". She flipped to the page she had marked with about a thousand post it's. It was such a pretty dress. Something felt wrong about looking at her soon-to-be wedding dress, knowing that she wasn't marrying the man she really loved in it. She sighed and threw the magazine aside. Pete was a good man. She loved him, and when he proposed, she felt like he really was the one. But there would always be Jack, lingering in the back of her mind. She and Jack could never be together, but it felt like one big mistake.

"_Well, you've got yourself into this mess. And you can't get out. I don't want to hurt Pete, but if I'm honest, I don't think I'll be happy with him"_

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A/N: That's it for today. I am writing as much as humanly possible while doing hw and sleeping . Sam has finally got some sense! What will happen next?! Only I know! Ha! I love you all!


	5. Beginnings and Endings

**Winter Of A Heart**

Disclaimer: They are not mine. We all know it.

Ramble: Okay, I slacked off a bit. I'm sorry. But I posted another chapter and two other stories so hopefully that makes up for me not writing. I will try to make it long, but we all know I'm not exactly the best at that. Oh well. Here goes. (Oh, and if you didn't know, I'm English, so my spelling might be different that yours)

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Jack woke up. It was still dark outside. His body was hurting again, but he wanted to get out of bed. He knew he really shouldn't be walking, but he didn't want to wake Sam. He walked quietly into the kitchen, got some water, and went in the living room to go sit. As he crept into the living room, he saw Sam, curled up in a ball, fast asleep on the sofa. He smiled, sighed, and went to go sit on the chair on the opposite side of the room. They sat in silence, before Sam started crying in her sleep. Jack went over to her.

"No… Mum… please, no… God, help me. Jack… no…" She was sobbing.

Jack had jumped at the sound of his name. She was dreaming about him?

"_Better wake her up. Not fair to keep her in this state."_ He thought.

Jack gently pulled away the stray wisps of hair on Sam's face, and caressed her delicate face softly with his thumb.

"Shhh… it's okay, Carter. I'm here."

Her eyes snapped open.

"Ja- Sir. Wh-what are you doing up? Is it time to go? Why did you wake me up? Is something wrong?" Words just spilled out of Sam.

"Go? Go where?" Jack asked.

"Oh. I guess I didn't tell you…"

"Ya think." Jack said, smiling

"Sir, Dr. Frasier gave me a call last night and she said that I need to take you in. They think they've found the cause for all these blackouts and they've located where it is. They need to, well…" Sam trailed off.

"They need to operate." Jack said.

"Janet said that it was kinda like a chip thing. It's in the side of your right lung. She saw it on your x-ray when she was going over it again. I have to agree that it was strange that you were blacking out from just emotional troubles."

"You don't know the half of it." Said Jack, under his breath, remembering that she was the cause. He smiled as he looked at her. For now, she was his.

Sam nodded. "Sorry, Sir –"

"Carter, I told you, I'm Jack when we're not on base. And before you say it, I'll stop calling you Carter, too." He smiled, and swayed. His eyes fluttered.

"It's not good for you to be up so late. Why don't you camp out down here for now? We have to get up in a few hours anyway. You can have my "bed", I'll sleep on the floor with a couple pillows…"

Jack looked at her, sadly. He realized this was possibly his one chance, and he couldn't loose it.

"Why don't we watch a video or something? As you said, we only have a few hours, and why waste it on trying to go back to sleep?" Jack suggested.

"Sounds great."

Sam sat back down next to Jack after putting the movie into the player. There was a slight awkward moment, Jack breaking it by resting his arm loosely around Sam's shoulders. She looked up into his warm, dark eyes and smiled. She leaned into him, and eventually drifted off to sleep.

-----------

Sam woke up at 6.00 in the morning. She found herself nestled against Jacks warm chest, his arms around her, and hers around his body. She smiled.

"_I have got to do something. I can't live like this."_ But she pushed those thoughts away. For once, she didn't care that she was going to be late getting to the base, or the "what ifs" and what rules she would break. She was happier than she had been in a while, right here in his arms. She lifted her head slightly, and although she was a bit afraid he would wake up, she kissed him softly on his lips. She smiled, and snuggled back down. But she hadn't known he was awake.

--------------

They both woke up (again) by the sound of the phone ringing. They had discovered the position they were in, and Sam started blushing. Jack just smiled. He remembered what she had done earlier on, and he took his chances. He leaned down, because they hadn't moved from each other's arms, and kissed her tenderly on the lips. He felt her respond, and push against his mouth. She was allowed to let her tongue explore his mouth, and in return, let hers be explored. The phone was forgotten. Jack, although reluctant, pulled away.

"I-I'm sorry Sam. I shouldn't have done that to you. Aw, dammit. I've screwed up." He sighed, and started to pace the room. He was getting that feeling again. "I know how you have Pete, and you're getting married soon, and that –" again, it was all too much for him to take. Jack, once again, blacked out. Sam ran to his side.

"Don't be sorry," she said, "You've helped me realize."

-----------

"Well, bringing him here was a good idea, Sam. You did the right thing. " Janet said. She could tell that something had (finally) happened between the two, but she wasn't about to ask Sam now. Sam would be confused enough as it is.

"_What the hell is she going to do about Pete?"_ Janet thought. She knew that, even though Sam did love Jack, she also had quite strong feelings for Pete. After all, she did say yes to his proposal.

Sam just nodded in response. She smiled weakly at Janet, before walking off to her office. It had been only two weeks since she had been here, but everything seemed different. She slumped down in her chair, and had a staring contest with the wall to bide time. It won. Knowing that she couldn't put it off forever, and knowing that even though she loved Pete, she couldn't go through with this wedding. She picked up the receiver, and dialed his number.

------------

"Jack… Jack, are you gonna wake up now?"

"_This seems familiar." _Jack thought.

He opened his eyes a crack. There was hardly any light, and in a matter of seconds, he could see who he was talking to.

"Daniel?"

"Yeah. Hi. How ya doing?" Daniel asked.

"How'd ya think?" Jack turned over on his side, and cursed when he felt the shooting pain up his right side.

"_Oh God."_ Daniel thought, _"Sam gets to babysit when he's actually in a good mood, but I get him when he's grumpy! He's going to be worse when I tell him about Sam…"_

"Where am I? And where's Sa…Carter?" Jack grumbled. He didn't know why he was in such a bad mood.

"You're not making this easy Jack. Listen, you've just woken up. You've been asleep for about 3 days since your operation. I brought you home. Before we talk about Sam, you need to understand that your body is not used to functioning without that alien thing. You have to stay in bed for a while and built up your strength. Hammond made it an order, and if you misbehave I will have to call him." Daniel said, thinking he sounded like his mother. "As for Sam… well, no one's seen her since she brought you back to the SGC. But we did find that she called Pete and cancelled the wedding. She said she just couldn't do it."

Jack was silent. She was gone? He felt tears burning the backs of his eyes, but refused to let Daniel see. He turned over and stared at the wall.

"I'm going to be here for the next couple weeks with you. You're on medical leave for a couple weeks because of your operation, but I'm not. I'll be working on my laptop. Give me a call if you need anything, okay?" Daniel said. He was concerned about Jack. He knew that he loved Sam, and, according to Janet, Sam seemed to have realized her feelings. But she was "missing", and Daniel knew he wouldn't be able to get through to Jack, and that would only make him sicker.

Jack heard his bedroom door shut. Where was she? Why hadn't she come back to take care of him?

"_God, please let her be okay. Please, please, please. I love her."_

----------

Sam had shut herself in her bedroom. The phone had rang several hundred times, probably from the SGC to ask where the hell she was. Her answering machine went off _again_, but this time she listened to the message, having nothing better to do.

"Hello, Major Carter. It's General Hammond. I know you may be going through some… difficult moments, so I'm allowing you to stay off work for as long as you need to get back on track. Oh, and Jack has just woken up. I hope you feel better soon, Sam. He's going to need you around. Good-bye."

Sam smiled through her tears. She was so confused. She had just broken off her wedding, and she realized that she really was in love with her CO. She also realized that Jack's actions were because of the alien thing in his body. Janet had said it was like a drug. Sam knew that they could never really be together. She was also devastated about her and Pete. She had been so stupid. But it was too late now. He wouldn't want her back after she had just dumped him and thrown their future out the window. She curled up on her bed, and cried herself to sleep.

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A/N: Uh oh! Lol. Well, there was some Sam/Jack for you. Will be more, don't worry. I enjoy it as much as you guys. Please review!


	6. Bad to Worse

Winter Of A Heart 

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters… pity really…

Ramble: Okay guys. I'm sorry I haven't written in a while. I wasn't feeling too good, and I still have unpacking and cleaning to do. But I found time, and now I'm writing. So here you go! **Oh, and we all know Pete is a police man, and he is carrying one of those sticks, and I don't know what they're called, so I'm calling it a police stick, with lack of a better word.**

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Sam woke up, bleary eyed and empty. She sat up, and looked around her room. Everything was dark. The clock on her bedside table showed the glowing 1:15 AM, Thursday morning. She wondered why she wasn't at Jack's house, taking care of him. Then she remembered what had happened… three days ago! Everything started to piece itself together again. Sam remembered being at home the last three days, but it was all spent crying and sleeping. A sudden fear gripped her. How was Jack? She had to get back to him. There had been something about Jack in General Hammond's message. Sam ran to her answering machine, and played through 6 messages before getting to Hammond's one.

"_Hello, Major Carter. It's General Hammond. I know you may be going through some… difficult moments, so I'm allowing…" _Sam started jumping impatiently. She knew all this stuff. She was afraid for Jack, and was going straight to his house after this._ "Oh, and Jack has just woken up. I hope you feel better soon, Sam. He's going to need you around. Good-bye."_

"_Yeah, he's going to need me. But not more than I need him. I also need to apologize for kissing him. Oh God." _She thought.

She hadn't bothered to stop her machine from playing while she got ready, and she stopped when she heard Daniel's voice.

"Uh… hey, Sam. It's Daniel. I'm at Jack's house "Colonel-sitting" as you call it. It's been two days since he woke up, and since… well, you haven't been here, and well, Jack's not really eating. He's also crying a lot in his sleep and won't talk to me. Sam you need to get here… I need to tell you something…" and he hung up.

Sam grabbed her coat and keys, and rushed out the back door. Little did she know that Pete would be there.

"Sam!" he said, urgency in his voice.

"Pete! Uh… hi. Look, I'm sorry, can we talk another time. I've got to get to-"

"Jack," Pete said, cutting her off, "You've got to get back to your precious Colonel. Apparently, he's not doing to good. Won't eat. Won't get out of bed. Sound's pretty lazy to me." He said, spitefully.

"Pete, you don't understand. I have to get to him." Sam said, tears starting to form in her eyes. Knowing Jack's present state, not eating would make his situation critical, and she knew she could make him better. She didn't want to loose him.

"Aw, Sammie. It's okay," Pete mocked, "When he eventually starves to death, you'll have forgotten all about him." He was inching towards her.

"Pete, I don't know why you're here, and how you found all this out, but it's going to stop now. I can get Jack to start eating and walking again. I can make him better." Sam was pleading now.

"I know," Pete smiled menacingly, "That's why I'm taking you." And he knocked her around the head with his police stick.

Sam fell limp on the cold ground. Pete got the rope and tape out from the back of his car, tied her up good, and put her in the trunk.

"Look, Sammie," he said in a dangerously quiet voice, "I even made it comfy for you." He patted the sleeping back Sam was on. "This will be the last time you dump me for another guy." And slammed the door back down.

He got into the driver's seat, and drove into the night.

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Later that day, Daniel got up from his adoptive bed (the sofa) to, once again, to go check on Jack. He had started leaving food on a tray on Jack's bed, and leaving, hoping that he would eat something while he was gone. No luck. Daniel had already asked Teal'c to come and try, but they had the same outcome. He opened Jack's door quietly, and peeked inside. Jack was sleeping restlessly next to a still-full tray of cold food. Daniel sighed. He went over and picked the tray up. Jack cringed.

"Jack… You can't stay like this forever. You'll kill yourself." Daniel said, more to himself than Jack.

Daniel watched as Jack opened his eyes a crack. They were bloodshot and puffy. He looked so weak and helpless, nothing like the Colonel Jack O'Neill that everyone was so used to and loved. It was like he had gone into depression ever since-

"Sam!" Daniel whispered.

Jack looked up, and Daniel saw longing in his tired eyes.

"Jack… She'll come back. I know that you… you have feelings for her…"

"Feelings." Jack managed a small crack of laughter, "Danny, I love her."

Daniel was surprised. Firstly, that Jack had finally spoken, and second, Jack had said it out loud. He loved Sam. And now she was gone. No one had heard from her for three days. But he wasn't about to bring that up.

"Jack, you gotta eat. You're making yourself worse." Daniel pleaded, but only received a half hearted shake of the head, and closed eyes from Jack. He decided that he should probably leave Jack alone, so he crept out of his room, put the tray down in the kitchen, and went to go call Janet.

"Hello?" Came Janet's distracted voice.

"Hey Doctor. It's Daniel."

"Ahh, hello Daniel. What's up?" she said, giving him her full attention now. Daniel smiled. He knew, although people kept it well hidden, that the SGC thought they should be together as much as Sam and Jack. But, there were always the regs to ruin the fun.

Daniel sighed, "Jack's still not eating. He managed to day, what, five words to me today, so I guess that's an improvement." But he knew it wasn't. It would only go downhill from here.

"Daniel, what's going on? Why isn't he doing anything?" Janet asked.

"Janet… he's in love with Sam." Daniel said, gravely.

"I knew something was up! Oh God, what are we going to do? Nobody knows where Sam is. I think he's the reason she stopped the wedding – she realized that she really does love him. The day she brought him in, she was acting weird, and I knew something had happened, but I hadn't expected it to turn out like this." Janet sighed.

"Yeah, but it's so hard to find a feeling that was buried a long time ago. They both probably thought that the other wouldn't have the same feelings for them, and then there are the regs…"

"God damn the regs." Janet said. She really meant it. Though the chance was small, true, real love shouldn't be told to keep itself hidden away. "We've got to find Sam. I'll call Pete and Sam's cell phone. Maybe we can locate where she is."

"Okay. But don't leave the SGC. I think I'm going to bring Jack in. Three days without food is enough." Daniel said.

"That's a good idea. I'll see you soon Daniel."

"Yeah… see ya." Daniel hung the phone back up.

"_Sam, this would really be a good time to show up and save the day." _Daniel thought sadly. _"Save the day, and Jack."_

---------------

The car bounced, making Sam's head hit the top of the trunk. That got her to wake up properly. She felt horrible and her head was pounding like hell. She groaned as she felt the rope around her wrists and at the memory of what had happened. She was tired of having to _remember_ things. Why couldn't they just be there? A sudden fear gripped her as Pete's words rung in her mind.

"_When he eventually starves to death, you'll have forgotten all about him… That's why I'm taking you."_

Then, her cell phone started vibrating in her pocket. She was in jeans, and lord knows, you can't get anything out of jean pockets unless you're standing. But Sam tried her best but couldn't to it in time. She sighed, before she was hit with a realization. If it was anyone from the SGC calling, they would be able to track where she was.

Where ever she was…

---------------

"Sir, she's got her cell phone with her, and we're tracking it now."

"Good job, Doctor. Be sure to tell Dr. Jackson when he gets here." General Hammond sighed. This had put so much pressure on him. Only two members of his best team were fit to go through the Stargate, and even if he let them, they would have to go to friendly or uninhabited planets. Hammond knew how bored Daniel and Teal'c were, but he wasn't going to risk loosing them too.

"Thank you, Sir." Janet said as she walked back out of his office. As she was walking back to the infirmary, and airman came running towards her.

"Dr. Frasier, Dr. Jackson and Colonel O'Neill are here." He panted.

"Thank you." And Janet was running down the hall to see to Jack.

Janet almost crashed into Daniel, who was pacing outside the infirmary doors.

"They said I wasn't allowed in until you came." Daniel said, and Janet fumbled with her key.

"I'm here now." She said, rushing inside.

She went over to the crowd of nurses surrounding Jack.

"What've you got so far?" Janet asked, to no one in particular.

"He's malnourished, over exhausted, lost fluids, and he still seems to be reliant on that alien device." A nurse informed them.

"Condition?"

"Critical."

"Get him hooked up, get some fluid and food in him. I want him watched 24/7." Janet ordered.

Jack was writhing in unconscious pain. He was thin and pale, and he soon threw up the food the nurses forced down into him.

"There's not much we can do for him, but watch him." Janet said to Daniel.

"I prefer him here. Just in case something goes wrong." Said Daniel.

"Don't worry. He'll be fine. Now, let's get working on finding Sam." And they both ran off to find Teal'c and the team working on Sam.

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Jack woke up, to find himself, once again, in the SGC infirmary. It was dark, and he figured it was pretty late. He noticed the IV needles in his arm. He grabbed them all and tore them from his arm. He didn't want to get better unless there was a reason.

Sam.

And now, his only reason had gone.

Jack closed his weary eyes for what he hoped to be the last time. He wanted Sam so badly, but it seemed like everything was working against him. He didn't want to suffer not having her anymore. He didn't want to feel the pain anymore.

At that moment, Sam was thinking the same thing.

They fell asleep to the memory of each other's arms and their kiss.

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A/N: Dun dun da!!! This is fun. Anyway, sorry for holding off. I will try and write as much as possible. Please review


	7. Rescue Me

**Winter Of A Heart**

**Disclaimer:** As much as I wish I did, I do not own these characters.

**Ramble:** Okay, I'm sorry to leave you hanging, but I have discovered that cliffhangers are fun to write. But so are solutions, so that's why I'm writing this. Thanks to all my reviewers, and sorry for keeping you waiting.

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Pete watched her as she slept on the bed he had made on the floor. Yeah, he had hated her for running from him, but he found that he couldn't live without her. He needed Sam. So he took back what was rightfully his.

He paced around the cold, cement basement where he planned on keeping Sam until she was convinced to take him back and Jack was dead. Pete went over his plan again. He had told Rob, his boss, that he would be off for a few days. The job was covered. He had left his cell phone at home so no one could track him. He had checked Sam for a phone, but couldn't find hers. The house was... unlocked! What if they had a search party for Sam and found that he wasn't home, and didn't have his cell. Then they would find that he was gone the day she went missing. He decided that it would be safe to run back home and lock every window and door to his home. Making sure that Sam was tied up tight and her mouth was properly covered, he crept out, locking the padlock on the door behind him. There were no windows in the basement, so if she did, by some miracle, get loose of the bindings, she wouldn't be able to get out.

He walked over to his car, and got in. He felt confident. More than that. Nothing could go wrong. Until Sam woke up. But he would worry about that later. He knew she would be stubborn, but he had his ways, and his ways were so convincing. No, nothing could go wrong.

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Sam jerked out of her dream. She had been deeply involved with Jack, and didn't really want to wake up, but she knew something wasn't right. Groaning when she felt the knots around her hands and feet and the tape around her mouth, she knew that she wouldn't be able to escape. Sam felt her pockets for her phone. Realizing that it wasn't there, she started dreading what had and would happen. Pete would have gotten hold of her phone. He would go destroy it. There would be no more hope of being found, no more freedom, no more Jack. Holding back tears, she felt around again, managing to get her hand in the tight jeans pocket. There was a hole. A hole big enough so that her small phone would have slipped out. Holding on to what little hope she had left, Sam began to feel her way down her leg. Relief washed over her as she felt the small lump of her phone.

"_I knew it was better getting a small phone." _She thought, pulling it out of the back of her shoe. She smiled at the memory it brought back.

_**---the memory---**_

Sam walked out of the cell phone store, clasping the small, metallic object in her hand. She was busy programming numbers in, that she walked straight into Jack.

"_Oh… Sorry Sir!" _

"_S'okay, Carter. Hey watyagot? Another doohicky?" Jack smiled._

"_No, Sir. Cell phone." Sam said, holding it up._

"_That's a phone? It's tiny!" he said, taking it in his hand to inspect the phone._

"_Yes Sir. I don't like the big ones. You can keep small phones in more places."_

"_You can also loose them in a lot more places." Jack said, handing it back._

_Sam rolled her eyes and tucked the phone away in her pocket. _

"_Anyway, I have to get back to shopping. It's my nephew's second birthday, and I need to get him something. I've been here for three hours and still haven't found anything. Then again, I haven't exactly been shopping for a two-year-old before." She grinned._

"_Well, I guess I'll have to help you then." Jack said, grinning back, "Everyone knows your no good at shopping. Even Teal'c is better than you are."_

_And they spent the rest of the afternoon together._

_**---end memory---**_

Sam flipped the screen of the phone up. It's battery was low, and she had missed three calls from the SGC.

"_They probably already have it tracked."_ She thought.

With some difficulty, she sent a small message to the SGC's main computer. There was always a person at the main computer, so it wouldn't be hard to contact someone.

Sender: Sam Carter 

Receiver: SGC Main Comp.

Message: Help. Track cell phone

to find me. Tied up. Come fast.

She sent the message, and tucked the phone back into her shoe, making sure it was on silent. She had regained hope, knowing that help would come soon enough. She hoped it wasn't too late for Jack though.

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"Sir!"

"What is it airman?" General Hammond said.

"Sir, we just received a message from Major Carter's phone. We've been tracking, and we know where she is now."

Hammond smiled. He was glad Sam was found. For one thing, he didn't want to loose her, especially when Jack needed her so much. Second, he didn't want to deal with the wrath of Jacob.

"Well. What are you waiting for. Get Dr. Jackson and Teal'c and the rest of the rescue team out there." Hammond ordered.

"Oh… right. Yes Sir!" The airman saluted and ran off while Hammond strode off in the other direction. To the infirmary.

He smiled as he walked in, but his smile faded quickly at the sight that met his eyes. Jack looked paler, more hollow, close to death. Then Hammond saw the IV needles on the floor. He grabbed the phone from the wall and dialed Janet's office.

"Dr. Frasier." She answered.

"Doctor, get down to the infirmary now. I don't know what your nurses have been doing, but they haven't been watching Jack." And he hung up.

Hammond checked Jack's pulse. It was there, but hardly. He looked down at the bloody needles, and didn't bother to try to put them back in. Janet came running in the door, followed by some very scared looking nurses.

"I thought I told you, no _ordered_ you to watch him 24/7!" She yelled at them, "Look at him. Get me some new IV's and fluids, and get life support in here. NOW!" and her nurses scampered off.

Janet checked Jack, concluding that he was worse.

"He hasn't been responding to anything. He wont talk, wont eat, now he's not accepting medicine. Sir, we have to find Sam." Janet looked at him sternly.

"Now what's that supposed to mean Doctor?" Said Hammond, raising an eyebrow, although he knew already.

"Sir, you must know. It was obvious the day they saw each other. I know it sounds… weird, but they're in love. True love. But they don't want to destroy each other's careers." Janet said. Everyone knew about Sam and Jack, including Hammond, so it wouldn't hurt to just come out with the truth.

"I know. I've considered asking the president to bend some rules before, but I've always backed out. Now I see how much they do need each other, but still keep up good work and don't let feelings interrupt anything. I'm going to call the president now, and you keep him alive. Oh, and Major Carter's been located. A team's out right now." Hammond said.

Janet stood there, smiling. She would do everything in her power to keep Jack alive. For Sam.

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A/N: That's all for now. Will post Chapter 8 sooner a lot quicker than I did this one. I feel bad for taking long. Sorry! Please keep reviewing. Thanks!


	8. Close to the Edge

**Winter Of A Heart**

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, but I want them for Christmas!

Ramble: I have nothing to say, so here's chapter 8! Yay! Oh! It is so unfair! **My sister has a picture phone, and took pictures of the TV when we were watching Stargate! Now she has pictures of everyone and uses them as her background! I will find a way to do that too!!!**

**-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

_"This is just too easy." _Pete thought as he shut his front door and locked it. Only 6:45pm. A slight smile played at the corners of his mouth. That good-for-nothing Jack would soon be out of the way, and he would have Sam all to himself. He would make sure that she loved him, and only him. He knew that she was still in love with Jack when she accepted his proposal, but he thought that it would wear off. But it ended up getting worse. Anyway, that was all in the past now, and he could finally start his life with Sam. Pete climbed back into his car with a feeling of pride and success.

But it was short lived.

He pulled into the empty car park behind the basement where Sam was. He got out and strode up to the door, unlocked the padlock, and walked in. He smirked at the sight of Sam, still on the floor and tied up. He saw her look up, but missed the relief in her eyes.

"Hey Sam. How ya been?" Pete droned.

Of course Sam couldn't say much, considering the tape over her mouth, but Pete could tell she was smiling. Throughly confused, he looked around the room, and saw nothing that she would be happy about, except him. He shrugged, and turned around to go sit on the sofa in the corner of the room. He was faced by two very angry looking men, backed up by others in army clothes. With guns.

"Major Carter will be released, and you will be taken to prison." The tall, african american man said. Pete shrunk back in fear, but tried not to show it.

"N-no. She's mine. You can't." he stuttered.

"Pete, you're a police officer. You know it's better to cooperate." The man next to him said.

"Look, I don't know how you know about me, or how you found me, but I am not going anywhere. And Sam is staying here too." He stood in front of Sam defencivly. Daniel noticed Pete trembling. Sam, still on the floor, looked triumphant.

"Pete, you shall come with us." Teal'c said. He took a step towards Pete. Pete, eyes wide and scared, stepped back, crushing Sam's hand. They could all hear it crack, and Sam winced in pain.

"Okay, enough stalling. Pete, you can cooperate with us, or we can carry you out. This is not a matter of negotiation. We have police outside, ready to take you, and Sam is coming back with us." Daniel said.

"NO. SAM BELONGS TO ME. SHE IS -"Pete was cut off by Teal'c lifting him off his feel and slinging him over his shoulder. Daniel smirked at the terror on Pete's face.

"YOU CAN'T DO THIS! THIS IS ILLEGAL! YOU PUT ME DOWN NOW! I'M A POLICE OFFICER!!" Pete screamed to Teal'c, pounding on his back.

"If you continue to resist, I shall have to kill you." Teal'c said, showing Pete the gun in his back pocket. Pete tried to reach for it, but recieved a hard thump from Teal'c. Pete went limp, and they all were thankful for the silence. As Teal'c strode out of the door, followed by the airmen, Daniel rushed to Sam's side. Her hand was swollen and bruising, but otherwise, she looked fine. Daniel took his knife out and cut the ropes.

"Hey Daniel. Thanks for coming by." sighed Sam, grasping her hand.

"Hi. Good to see you. Like the house." He replied, hugging her, "Let's get you back."

Sam walked out the door into the cool night air. She breathed deeply, then seemed to remember-

"Jack!" She turned to Daniel, "The Colonel! How is he? Where is he?" Daniel noted the urgency in her voice. He shifted nervously.

"Daniel..." Sam warned.

"Sam, he's not good. No, that's an understatement. He's not eating, talking, or accepting medicine anymore. Janet's got him on life-support. There's not much that they can do for him. It's like he's gone into a complete shut-down since...." Daniel looked at the ground.

"Since what?"

"Since you got with Pete, when you weren't there when he woke up after the operation, when you went missing. Sam, he's been nothing without you." Daniel said.

Sam stood there, paralized. This was all her fault, and now he was going to die. No, she wouldn't let him; she had to get to him. Sam looked at Daniel, a new spark in her eye.

"C'mon Daniel. Let's get going! We can't just let him... die." Sam said.

Daniel nodded, "Come on. The car's this way." and he ran off, Sam trailing. A few medics tried to stop her to check her hand, but she pushed them out of the way. Daniel got into the drivers seat next to Teal'c, as Sam slid into the back seat.

"Seatbelts everyone." Daniel ordered, "We've got a colonel to save."

He turned the key, and the car came to life. As the car turned out of the now-crowed car park, the CD started playing. Daniel looked sheepish.

"I know it's not really apropriate for the occasion, but this helps me relax." he said, reaching for the off button.

"No Daniel, it's okay. I like this song." Sam said quietly. Daniel decided to leave it at that, and go back to driving. They had a long way to go. Pete had gone a long way.

Sam sat back, listening to the song. It reminded her a lot about her and Jack

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_Whenever I say your name, _

_whenever I call to mind your face _

_Whatever bread's in my mouth, whatever the sweetest wine that I taste _

_Whenever your memory feeds my soul, whatever got broken becomes whole _

_Whenever I'm filled with doubts that we will be together _

_Wherever I lay me down, wherever I put my head to sleep _

_Whenever I hurt and cry, whenever I got to lie awake and weep _

_Whenever I kneel to pray, whenever I need to find a way _

_I'm calling out your name _

_Whenever those dark clouds hide the moon _

_Whenever this world has gotten so strange_

_I know that something's gonna change, something's gonna change _

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Sam watched the dark trees outside her window wiz by. Resting her head on her arm, she had a good view of the clear sky. And she knew.

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_Whenever I say your name, _

_Whenever I say your name, I'm already praying, I'm already praying _

_I'm already filled with a joy that I can't explain _

_Wherever I lay me down, wherever I rest my weary head to sleep _

_Whenever I hurt and cry, whenever I got to lie awake and weep _

_Whenever I'm on the floor _

_Whatever it was that I believed before _

_Whenever I say your name, whenever I say it loud, I'm already praying _

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Tears forming in her eyes again, she realized that she didn't care anymore. She didn't care what people thought or if it cost her job. She couldn't pretend anymore.

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_Whenever this world has got me down, whenever I shed a tear _

_Whenever the TV makes me mad, whenever I'm paralyzed with fear _

_Whenever those dark clouds fill the sky, whenever I lose the reason why _

_Whenever I'm filled with doubts that we will be together _

_Whenever the sun refuse to shine, whenever the skies are pouring rain _

_Whatever I lost I thought was mine, whenever I close my eyes in pain _

_Whenever I kneel to pray, whenever I need to find a way _

_I'm calling out your name _

_Whenever this dark begins to fall _

_Whenever I'm vulnerable and small _

_Whenever I feel like I could die _

_Whenever I'm holding back the tears that I cry _

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Sam was holding back her tears, and prayed.

_Jack, if you die now, I'll never be able to live. I'll never be able to love again. I was so stupid. I should have told you. This is all my fault. Oh, God, please make him okay. Please. I love him so much..._

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_Whenever I say your name, whenever I call to mind your face _

_I'm already praying _

_Whatever bread's in my mouth, whatever the sweetest wine that I taste _

_Wherever I lay me down, wherever I rest my weary head to sleep _

_Whenever I hurt and cry, whenever I'm forced to lie awake and have to weep _

_Whenever I'm on the floor _

_Whatever it was that I believed before _

_Whenever I say your name, whenever I say it loud, I'm already praying _

_Whenever I say your name, No matter how long it takes, One day we'll be together _

_Whenever I say your name, let there be no mistake_

_that day will last forever _

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She shut her eyes, letting loose a solitary tear. She wouldn't let go. Not yet.

---------

Jack opened his eyes, greeted by a very worried Janet. He smiled weakly. Janet frowned at the emptiness of his eyes. She hoped that they would be back soon. He needed Sam.

"Hey... Doc..." Jack whispered.

Janet looked at him, suprised.

"Doc... They've got.... Carter. Sh-she's comin'.... home...." He faded off, taking his heartbeat with him.

Janet yelled at the nurses to get a defibrillator. She charged it at 200.

-----------

Daniel's cell phone rang. Teal'c answered.

"We've just lost Colonel O'Neill's heatbeat. We're shocking him now. Get here as fast as you can."

Teal'c hung up, and turned a painful face to Daniel.

"What?" Daniel said, concerned.

"They have lost O'Neill's pulse." Teal'c said, almost in disbelief.

Daniel couldn't say anything. Sam was still asleep, and he wasn't about to wake her. She didn't need this. He'd keep driving. Janet would keep shocking Jack. They wouldn't let go. Not yet.

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A/N: Leaving off on a bad-ish note. I'm not in the best of moods either, and this has just made it worse. Oh well. **It's sad, and disheartening, but it will change.** I just like drama. Please review.

Song: Whenever I Say Your Name by Sting


	9. Confessions

**Winter Of A Heart**

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, but I can dream...

Ramble: Okay, so, I've had a completely awful evening. I lost my report that I had been working on for a week, and was really pissed off. Then I couldn't get my internet working, and I couldn't find the information I needed to get it up. BUT THEN I FOUND IT! and I got connected to the internet. I decided to check up on my reviews and was like "WOW". I was sooo happy I got 12 reviews in one day! **Thank you so much to my reviewers. You made me smile when I was having the worst possible time. Thanks again.**

And Daniela, thanks for reading and supporting me. I'm glad you like it. And keep up with your story! It's fantastic!

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"Daniel Jackson, Major Carter is still asleep. Should I carry her in?" Teal'c offered.

"I think we should wake her Teal'c. She'll want to see Jack." Daniel said sadly.

Teal'c nodded, and opened the car door. He nudged Sam's sleeping body, recieving a groan in return.

"Major Carter, we have arrived." Teal'c said gently. He remembered that she still didn't know about Jack, and he felt another pang of sadness.

"Sam," Came Daniel's quiet call, "Sam, it's time to get up."

Sam's eyes flickered open. She scrunched up her face and yawned.

"Where are we?" she groaned, feeling the twang of pain in her hand. Looking at it, she could tell it was bruised and swollen, probably a few broken bones.

"We're at the SGC. We're going to see Jack." Daniel said. He tried not to show his pain, but the tears burned his eyes, "C'mon. We'd better get your hand looked at."

Teal'c helped Sam out of the car, and they walked in together. Daniel had walked ahead to sign them in, and he met them going through the main doors. Sam walked ahead, obviously eager to get to Jack. Daniel and Teal'c exchanged sad glances. Daniel's eyes were shining.

"Why didn't we tell her, Teal'c?" Daniel whispered, wiping his eyes. He had trusted that Janet had worked her magic and Jack was, well, alive again, but Sam's determination was disheartening.

"I could not bring myself to tell her. I could not do it." Teal'c murmered.

"I know what you mean, T." Daniel sighed.

As Sam came charging down the hallway, she ran into Janet.

"Sam!" Janet almost screamed, pulling her friend into her arms, tears of relief trailing down her cheeks.

"Janet!" Sam said, tears rolling down her face too. "OW!" Sam yelled.

Janet pulled away, wincing and her hand over her ear.

"What in God's name have you done to yourself? Come here." Janet said, pulling Sam into her office. Janet rummaged through her drawer, pulling out an ace-bandage.

"You've probably broken something, but that's the least of our worries." Janet mumbled, more to herself than Sam.

"What's the most of our worries?" Sam asked, as Janet wrapped her hand.

Janet sighed, "Sam, come with me."

Janet walked out into the hallway, and unlocked the door to the infimary, Sam following obediently. They walked into a silent room. Sam's eyes immediatly went to the only occupied bed, surrounded by machines, silenced but one. Janet walked over to the bedside, and motioned Sam over. Sam felt tears on her face again, but they seemed like a dream. She didn't feel herself walk over to his side, or take his heavy hand in hers. And then it all hit her, and she fell to her knees, sobbing. Janet touched her friends shoulder, and walked out of the infirmary. They needed their privacy. And this could be their last chance for it.

Sam, tears still sliding down her face, picked her head up and looked at his peaceful face. She could tell he had been in a lot of pain, and that she had caused him this. Moving him ever so slightly, she slid on the bed next to him, her hand on his chest. No. This could not be happening. She would not accept that her worst fear had become real. Proping herself up on her elbow, she looked at his closed eyes, perfect mouth, soft skin. She gently pressed her lips over his, memories flooding back like this flooding back. She pressed harder against his mouth, longing for him to respond. Her tears fell onto his skin, leaving wet trails down his face. Sam wiped his face dry and settled down next to him.

"I love you, Jack. Please don't go. Don't leave me." she whispered.

------------------------------

General Hammond sighed and turned to the three others sitting patiently at the briefing table. They all looked up at him, respectfully waiting for him to speak.

"How is he, Doctor?" he asked Janet.

"Well, he's alive. That's the main thing. I'm afraid that he's gone into a coma." Janet replied.

There was silence.

"Dr. Jackson, Teal'c, when - if - Colonel O'Neill wakes up, are you prepared to accept the relationship that might happen between him and Major Carter?" Hammond said.

Both Daniel and Teal'c nodded.

"Daniel Jackson and I have been aware of Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter's feelings for some time. Although I cannot speak for Dr. Jackson, I believe that I have already accepted their feelings." Teal'c said

"Me too." Daniel added.

"I am absolutly sure that there will be no interfearence in their work, Sir. They both love their work so much and -"

"I know, Dr. Frasier. I don't have a shadow of a doubt that they will continue working as well as they do." Hammond cut in. He smiled sadly, "I have already recieved consent from the President to let them stay here. He knows how precious they are to the SGC and the Stargate Program."

There was another silence.

"How much of a chance does he have, Janet?" Daniel said quietly.

Janet sighed, "I really don't know, Daniel. This has all been so unexpected, but I think that we can make him better. It'll be easier to feed him and get fluids back in his body. We're just lucky that we have Sam now."

They all nodded.

"Thank you everyone. You're dismissed." Hammond said, "Now, lets get working on Sam and Jack."

--------------------------

Sam woke up to the throbbing of her hand. She saw that it was now wrapped in a plaster cast. She groaned.

_"Great. Another injury. I won't be able to go through the gate for weeks."_

Looking around her, she realized that she was not in the bed she had fallen asleep in. She wasn't even in the infirmary. Then, Janet came in.

"Ahh, you're up. How are you feeling?" she asked, smiling.

"Uh... I'm... okay, I guess." Sam said, still feeling a bit drowsy.

"Good. Oh, and you're in your dorm. Sorry about moving you. You just couldn't be there at that moment. We had to put some IV needles and stuff in Jack. How's your hand feeling? You have a couple fractures. Pete must really have a firm step." Janet grinned.

"It feels okay. Why are you so... grinny? Did Daniel finally ask you out?" It was Sam's turn to smile.

"Uh... well, I'll tell you later," Sam smile widened, "But I'm so "grinny" because you are a miracle." Janet said.

"What?" Sam asked, thouroly confused.

"Honey, when we came to move you, Jack himself was wide awake and smiling. He had you cradled up and everything." Janet hugged Sam tightly, "Sammie, you did it!"

Sam hugged her friend back. She was beyond happy, and she jumped out of her bed. She thought briefly about how she would have to explain the kissed to her CO, but she pushed that out of her mind for now. Sam threw on her shirt, and bounded down to the infirmary with Janet. They ran into the infirmary, also running into a crowd of people around Jack's bed. They were all talking at once and all overjoyed that he was awake. Janet huffed inpatiently.

"Alrighty everyone! He needs his rest! OUT NOW!" She yelled. Everyone obediently turned and left. No one wanted to face the wrath of an angry Dr. Frasier. Sam turned slowly but Janet caught her shoulder.

"Not you, idiot." She smiled and nudged Sam forward. Sam looked over her shoulder as Janet shooed the remaining people out. The door hadn't shut completely before she was at Jack's side.

"Sir, how are you? How do you feel? Why weren't you eating? WHY WEREN'T YOU TAKING THE MEDICINE FOR CHRIST'S SAKE?" She said through tears, "God, Sir, you had me so worried. You had everyone worried." She sobbed.

Jack smiled weakly and pulled her into a hug.

"Shhh... I'm sorry. But I'm here now, Carter. I'm here." he said soothingly, despite the tears forming in his eyes. He was so relieved to have her back near him.

She sniffed, "Sir, I have to talk to you."

"Not now, Carter. Not now. I'm still tired and sick, but I'm not going anywhere again, okay. I just need you to be strong now, okay?" he said gently.

She nodded and sniffed again. God, she wanted to kiss him. His eyes were weighing so heavily on hers, but it was a weight she could carry. She just wanted to be in his arms, just wanted to be close...

"Come here, Sam." He whispered.

She climbed into his arms. He held her gently, but she could feel him shaking. She snuggled into him, placing a hang across his chest. He looked down and was met with her calm blue eyes. She was so perfect, and he couldn't hold back anymore. He didn't care who saw them, this was his decision. He leaned into her, bringing his mouth gently down onto hers. She pressed against his soft lips and felt him smile. They tightened their grips on each other as the kiss deepened. Jack, although reluctant, broke away and smiled warmly at Sam.

"I have a secret to tell you." he whispered. Sam nodded in encouragement.

"Samantha Carter, I love you."

"Jack... I love you too." She replied, as she kissed him again.

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A/N: Okay, that's it for chapter 9! **Again, I am really sorry about this taking so long. My internet was screwed, but I fixed it, so chapter 10 will be up soon.** Please review, and I hope you enjoyed!


	10. Reunited

**Winter Of A Heart**

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, but I really wish I did...

Ramble: Yes, so I didn't write for a while, and I'm sorry... again. I have been thinking of what to add this chapter all through the holidays, so I have a fair few ideas. **I hope everyone has had a great Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/whatever other holiday you may celebrate. Also, enjoy your time off school!!!**

Anyway, thanks for all your reviews! Makes me feel SUPER! Okay.... anyway, onto chapter 10!

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That weekend, Jack was allowed to leave the infirmary and return home to completely recover. Sam, of course, went with him, but they weren't let off easily. They had spent so much time off work, and their work was piling up. Sam and Jack had mountains of paperwork to get through, but they had a few weeks to get it done.

Sam sighed as she turned back the sheets and blankets on Jack's bed, making it ready for him while he slept in her car. She was happy they had time to themselves, and, although she knew they had a lot to go through, she knew it would turn out good. No, better than good. She had Jack. Knowing that was ecstasy. She laughed silently to herself, remembering the events of that afternoon.

Jack had left the infirmary in a wheelchair, despite his retaliation. Janet and Sam had approached him carefully, knowing he would react badly.

"No way am I leaving in a wheelchair." He mumbled.

"Colonel, you are too weak to stand up, let alone walk. Anyway, I dont want you walking just yet, so you are going to leave in a wheelchair." Janet commmanded.

"For cryin' out loud, I can walk out!" Jack said, angrily.

Sam rolled her eyes at Janet. Jack was certainly on his way back to normal.

"Look, I'll prove it to you." Jack said, swinging his legs off the bed and onto the cement floor. He held onto the bed railings, before swaying and falling on the floor. He moaned and rolled on his back, looking sheepishly up at Sam and Janet. Janet smirked.

"Aw, shuddup." he grumbled.

"You okay, Sir?" asked Sam, trying to stop herself giggling.

"No, Carter, I'm not." he said, "I'm in pain as it is, I just fell on the damn cold floor, and you were right... again."

"Well, women know best." Janet said as she turned, "I'm gonna get the wheelchair. Sam, get him off the floor."

Jack had been pulled from the floor and shoved into the wheelchair. Sam wheeled him out, content with listening to his low complaints and grumbles. She helped him into the passenger seat of her car, and they drove back to Jack's house. He nodded off at some point, leaving Sam to her thoughts and the road. But her thoughts were on him, what they had, what would come. And she felt happy.

By the time they arrived at Jack's house, it was dark. Sam looked over at the sleeping form in the passenger seat. She quietly got out of the car, and let herself into the house, turning on a few lights, and here she was, turning back the covers on his bed. Walking back out of the house, she could see movement coming from the car. Coming closer, she saw that Jack had woken up, utterly confused about being alone in her car. He had decided that it would be smart to try to get out of the car, but he had failed. Miserably.

"Sir... what on earth are you doing?" she laughed.

He jerked his head up, glaring at her, "Thanks for leaving me! Ya know, I don't exactly want to be in the car all night, so I decided to get myself out... only, I haven't been as succesful as I had hoped. Would you like to help?"

Apparently, Jack had tried to climb in the back to get his wheelchair, decided it was pointless, tried to get out the passenger door, realizing that the only way was head first seeing as he couldn't stand. Sam found him in the space between the two front seats, his head lolling backwards so he was looking at the back seats. He must have been uncomfortable; he had the gear shift and seat belt clickers in his back.

Sam laughed, only to recieve "Get me the hell outta here!" in return. She unlocked the back of her car and grabbed his wheelchair and wheeled it over to his open door.

"Damn," he said, "I was hoping you had forgotten about that."

"No, Sir. I don't often forget things like these." She said.

"Do I need to remind you again? We're off base, _Sam_, call me Jack. Stop with the formality." Jack said, smiling, as she helped him out of the car.

Sam had him around the waist, with one of his hands on her shoulder, the other on her hip. Sam smiled, a bit embarrassed, but absolutly estatic. Just having him close was enough to make her crazy. He sat down heavily in his wheelchair, and Sam pushed him down the path to the steps, carefully manovering around the bumps and ditches. She managed, to get him up the front steps with some difficulty, seeing as he was squirming, heavy, and excited. As soon as they were in the doorway, Jack took control, wheeling himself around his house, going into every room he could get to, thrilled to be home. Sam went into the kitchen to make coffee, and was leaning against the counter when she had the odd feeling she was being watched. She turned, only to see Jack gazing at her, a small, gentle smile on his lips.

"What?" she asked curiously.

"I'm just looking at the most beautiful woman I find myself completely in love with." he murmured quietly.

She stared at him, not knowing exactly what to say. His words traveled slowly, and she had to take a moment to understand what he had just said. There was a peace about Jack... he made her calm, whole. He made her feel again.

"Help into bed, would ya?" He said, in that same smooth voice. She melted inside, but she couldn't let it show just yet. Right now, she needed to be strong for him.

Sam didn't feel herself move from the kitchen, but she found herself by his side, helping him up. He stood facing her, both hands on her shoulder, and for a moment, he seemed lost. He seemed to take in everything around him, without looking at anything in particular. Coming back to reality, Jack remembered where he was. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, as her arms slid around his waist to keep him up. They walked slowly, sincronized with the others motions, fully aware of what each other was thinking and feeling. The darkness of Jack's room greeted them, and Sam helped him sit on his bed. She turned to leave, give him some privacy, but his hand stopped her. She turned to be greeted by his endless brown eyes.

"I can't do this alone." he whispered. He didn't want her to leave him. He was too afriad she would be taken from him again.

He showed her, in his own way, that it was hard for him to take his shirt off. It might have been a lame excuse, but Sam didn't care. She stedied him, gracefully pulling his shirt from his torso. His eyes flickered at the touch of her fingers, and he sighed deeply. Sam stood back, afraid she had hurt him and not really sure what he wanted her to do next. He unbuckled his belt and slowly pulled his jeans off, leaving him only in his boxers. He looked at her again, and she came to his side, easing him down and pulling the blankets up close. She knelt on the floor next to him, taking his hand.

"Come." He said, patting the space on the bed next to him.

Sam stood slowly, and pulled off her sweater. She walked to the other side of the bed and lay down by his side, breathing in his smell. She found his eyes again, and saw only love. She knew she would be safe with him. She pulled the covers over herself too, and nestled gently into Jack's side, his arms resting around her. Sam soon fell asleep in the quiet comfort of the dark room. Jack lay awake a few minutes longer, enjoying the nearness of their bodies, the feeling of her breath on his neck. He could feel the rythmic beating of her heart. He placed a gentle kiss over her lips, and she smiled in her sleep.

"Thank God I have you." Jack whispered. "I'd be nothing without you."

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A/N: Well, I'm sorry it's not that long, but I wanted to get another chapter in. Hoped it was worthy of reviews...!

**btw, roseofthegate, I am reading your story. I think it is fantastic!**


	11. Progress

**Winter Of A Heart**

Disclaimer: Is there any point to this?? We all know I dont own the Stargate characters, we don't have to rub it in!

Ramble: I feel bad, because I got all these wonderful reviews, and I didn't write another chapter. **I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while, and I'm sorry this isn't the longest chapter. I was sick and had to go to hospital a couple times. I'm back now, so here's something.**

Thanks to Dani for the idea.

... let's get on with it.

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Jack woke up to an empty bed, but smiled nonetheless. He had the memory and the moment of last night, and he was happy to hold onto that for now. He closed his eyes again, breathing in deeply. When he opened his eyes again, he saw Sam leaning against the doorframe. She was gazing, almost longingly, at his bare chest. He smiled to himself.

"Hiya." He said.

"Hey, how are you?" Sam said, snapping out of her world.

"Not much better than yesterday, but I'll be fine." Jack said, trying to sit himself up, and failing. Sam walked over to his side and placed her hands on his side to help him up. Jack jerked away, a playful smile spreading across his face.

"Jack! Did I hurt you? I'm sorry, I-"

"No, Sam. Don't worry," Jack cut in, waving his hand, "You didn't hurt me."

"Then what? Are my hands cold?" Sam asked, confused.

Jack's smile widened, "Nope, you're hands are perfect."

Sam's eyes narrowed in thought. Then she smiled devilishly.

"You're ticklish."

Jack's eyes grew wide as Sam proceeded to advance on him.

"Not fair," he said, as Sam crouched over his body, "I'm hurt." Jack pouted, and Sam rolled her eyes.

"Ruin my fun." She said, turning her face away from him and pretending to be upset. Jack looked surprised, then realised her humor.

"Hey, who said we weren't going to have fun?" he said, placing a hand on the small of her back. He took her chin and made her face him, before kissing her with passionate gentlness. She broke away, and then kissed him again, harder and more deeply, but they were interrupted by a knocking on the front door. Sam and Jack jerked apart, caught by surprise. Sam glanced at her watch.

"Shit." she mumbled.

"What?" asked Jack.

"I forgot that Daniel and Teal'c were coming by today." Sam said, a little disappointed. Jack groaned. "Does anything look... suspicious?" Sam asked, trying not to smile.

"You look fine. Beautiful. Now go get the door before they think we're up to more than just kissing." Jack smiled as Sam left the room shaking her head.

Jack listened as Sam padded down the hallway and unlocked the front door.

"Hey Daniel. Hey Teal'c." She said cheerfully.

"Hiya Sam. How are you?" came Daniel's voice.

"Good morning, Major Carter." Teal'c said.

"So, is our beloved colonel awake, or is he still lounging in bed?" asked Daniel. Jack could tell that he was smiling as he said this. Daniel loved it that Jack couldn't really beat him up because of how weak he was, and Jack knew it.

"Yeah, he's awake, and he's still lounging around. You can go see him, if you want. His room's just down there." Sam laughed.

Jack heard Teal'c and Daniel walk down to his room and saw them peer around his door.

"Yep, you're beloved colonel is still here. Sorry Danny-boy." Jack said.

"Good to see you too, Jack." Daniel said, smiling, "Good to have you back to normal."

"Hello, Colonel O'Neill." Teal'c said. However formal he was, Teal'c never failed to show happiness, and he had a big smile on his face. "It is indeed good to have you back."

"Greetings, Teal'c. And thanks." Jack said. "So, how's life down at the lovely SGC? Busy? Find any new toys to play with Daniel?"

"Well, all we've really got is paperwork, seeing as we can't travel due to some stupid person." Daniel grinned.

"We cannot travel without you and Major Carter to accompany us." Said Teal'c. "General Hammond offered to let us join another team while you are recovering, but we prefer to have you and Major Carter with us."

"Aww, well... thanks!" Jack said. Daniel rolled his eyes, and Teal'c bowed his head.

"Hey, guys! Get Jack out of bed and come get coffee!" Sam shouted from somewhere in the kitchen.

"You heard the woman." Jack said, pulling on a shirt (with Daniel's help), "Let's get food as well. I'm starving."

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Daniel and Teal'c stayed for about three hours, talking and catching up with Jack and Sam. There had been so much going on, and they had missed out on the times where they just got together and talked. Despite the overwhelming urge to skip work and just relax, they all had to get to work and wanted something to be done by the end of the day. It was only 6 pm, but the days were getting shorter, and it was dark when Daniel and Teal'c bid their good-byes.

Sam leaned against the closed door, and sighed. It had been good to see Daniel and Teal'c, and she felt guilty that she had kinda wanted them to leave. But there was Jack. They had a lot to talk about themselves - a lot to do.

She was jerked out of her thoughts by a crash. Immedately attentive, she looked around to find the source, but everything looked normal.

_"Oh, God." _she thought, _"What has he done now?"_

Sam ran into Jack's room, only to find him sitting on his bed, eyes wide, and looking guilty. She looked around to his bedside table, where the lamp was - used to be. Sam couldn't help but smile at Jack, staring at the wall in utter disbelief, afraid that she would be angry. He turned to face her, and grinned, making Sam laugh.

"What _have_ you done?" she giggled.

"Um... well...I wanted you to come up, so we can," he smiled, "Pick up from where we left off before. Of course, I can't really walk well, so I... knocked the lamp over."

Sam sat down next to him, still smiling. "You're so lucky I'm in a good mood." and she leaned over and kissed him.

Jack, a bit surprised by her action, responded after a few seconds, leaning into her and deepening their kiss. Sam melted into him, and could feel Jacks body respond. She smiled as they kissed, and he looked embarrassed when she broke away.

"I'm okay with it... if you are." she whispered.

Jack caught on right away and smiled. He pulled her closer, and kissed her again, gently caressing the skin under the hem of her shirt. Sam's hands were slowly making their way up Jack's shirt, with careful precision, as to avoid where she might hurt him. Very much to Sam's surprise, he giggled as she gently trailed her fingers down his chest. She slipped her shirt of, and helped Jack with his. Everything, every movement, every action, seemed a blur, but everything was clear to them. At that moment, they both knew what they wanted.

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As the hours burned away, it seemed as if the world had stopped turning. Nothing else mattered, nothing else seemed to happen. All that consumed them was the other, finally being able to hold them, kiss them, live again.

They lay next to each other in the wee hours of the morning, not being able to sleep because of the pure ecstasy each other was. The window was open, making the light curtain sway as the soft wind trailed a cool path on their entwined bodies. The darkness had a strange sence of calm, a completion. Jack turned his head and focused on the sapphire eyes that pierced the dark. He sighed and held Sam closer. She was his everything, and she was with him now... he felt as if he had the other part to him. Smiling at the thought, he slid his hand around the back of Sam's neck and gently brought her mouth gentle to his.

"Tá tú go h-álainn, grá." he whispered in the old, melodic language. He had stopped speaking it when Charlie died.

Sam smiled comfortably and traced his jawline with a finger. "What does that mean?"

"You're beautiful, love." The words came out on a single breath, a charm that Jack had somehow mastered.

"I'm happy." Sam said, snuggling in closer.

_"We can live again." _he thought, finally closing his eyes in exhaustion.

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A/N: So that's it for now, kids. I'm sorry it's taken me so long, and that it's short. Please review!


	12. Hope Fails and a Drastic Turn

**Winter Of A Heart**

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, but I want to!

Ramble: All I can say is that I'm really sorry you all had to wait. hugs reviewers Thanks for sticking around. Okay… I'll stop talking so you can all read

Months past, and Jack was well past recovery.Sam and Jack now spent almost all of theirdowntime together, and they were happier than they had been in a while.But, until recently, work had piled up, and the whole team was held up at the SGC. More often than not, nights were spent in offices or off-world. Jack and Sam barely got any time alone, resulting in two dangerous tempers. Sam, usually talkative and pretty optimistic was now snappy, and had scared more than a few people off. And if you thought she was bad, then you really didn't want to run into Jack, who could be described as "death in human form". But, everyone around them had an understanding, were sympathetic. Here, Jack and Sam finally had each other after years of waiting, yet they were separated for weeks because of the work they loved.

Jack was sitting at his desk, scribbling away at yet another report, when the announcement came in over the intercom.

"Colonel Jack O'Neill, please report to the briefing room immediately."

Jack glanced at his watch.

"_Shit!"_ he thought, and ran out of his office.

"Crap, crap, crap, crap!" he hissed to himself. He had lost track of time, and was now late. Hammond would kill him. He sprinted down the hallway and pushed open the briefing room doors. His CO and three other team members looked up at him, smiling in relief that they could finally get started.

"Sorry I'm late." Jack grumbled as he took his seat next to Sam.

"Alright," Hammond said, "I know there's been a lot of work for you and I've arranged it so that after this assignment, you all have a break from missions for a while."

SG-1 sighed with happy relief. Sam's eyes connected with Jack's and she swore she knew what thought had just passed his mind. He had that glint in his eye.

"Okay, so you are going to P3X-569. From what we know, it's virtually uninhabited…"

Jack leaned against the railing of the walkway leading up to the gate, sighing impatiently. Daniel was, once again, late. Five minutes went by before the door to the gate room opened and Daniel staggered, breathless, through. He was carrying an extra backpack, probably filled with stuff that he'd never need. Jack rolled his eyes and stalked up the ramp to face the Stargate. He glanced over his shoulder and was surprised to see Sam standing right behind him. She smiled, but her eyes told him that her heart was aching. He could feel it too; the need to hold each other was unbearable.

"SG-1, you're good to go."

Jack put a hand on Sam's closest shoulder.

"Not much longer." He whispered as they stepped through.

They walked out onto an empty field, blinking in the bright sun. Sam slipped her sunglasses on her face and turned to Daniel.

"You picking anything up?" she asked as she waved her radiation detector about.

"Nope, nothing yet." Daniel said, intently fixed on his device.

Jack took a deep breath in, clutching his gun close to his chest. Hopefully, this could be a short, meaningless mission and he could get back home and have Sam all to himself. But he couldn't get there until they were finished with this.

He turned, "Come on kids, let's get this over with."

They walked for three hours, and still couldn't find anything worth reporting or taking back.

"Uh… Jack…" panted Daniel, "Could we… please… take just a short break?"

"Actually, that doesn't sound too bad. Let's park somewhere… there." Jack said, gesturing over to a bunch of small trees. It wasn't much, but there was some protection from the glaring sun. Jack leaned against the tree, closing his eyes. He heard the others sit down opposite and next to him. He opened his eyes and saw the three of them copying Jack, each leaning against his (or her) own tree, eyes closed. He smiled, and closed his eyes again.

Sam woke up to rustling, twigs breaking, whispers. She sat up, looking around, but only saw Jack, Daniel and Teal'c, still sleeping. She smiled at Jack. He looked so harmless when he was asleep. Leaning over, she placed a light kiss on his lips. He smiled in his sleep. Sam sat back against her tree and listened for the noises. What made her nervous was there was now no sound. She got up quietly, and looked around, but again, saw nothing. She knew something was out there, and unfortunately, she was right.

The moment Sam turned around, she was faced with a knife in her face, and vicious, mad eyes. The man made a grab for her, and she jumped out the way.

"Colonel! Daniel! Teal'c! Wake-"

But her screaming was muffled with a giant hand suffocating her words. She saw more of these wild people come out of the bushes, and three more men came and gruffly took hold of the rest of SG-1. They were torn out of drowsiness and immediately tried fighting back. It was no use.

They were carried to a small cluster of savage-made tents far from the grove of trees where they had been. Sam couldn't understand why these people hadn't been picked up on their radar. Bit late to worry about that now. They were placed in a small tent, bound around the wrists and ankles, and then left.

"Okay… now, why did that happen?" Jack growled.

"General Hammond and our tracking devices said that there was no sign of human… er, creature existence. I don't understand. How could we have missed things _this_ big?" Daniel said, looking at Sam.

"Teal'c, have you ever seen something like these?" Sam asked.

"No, I have not. They are not of my world." He said, blankly.

"Well, this is just great. And I was hoping that this could actually be a normal, boring mission." Jack said, angrily.

_"This is just great. Another thing to keep us apart." _Jack thought. He kicked the ground in anger. He just wanted to be with her, was it so much to ask? He shook his head, and glanced at Sam. She was watching him with sad, understanding eyes.

"We will find a way to escape." Said Teal'c, sensing what was going on.

At that moment, the tent door opened, their gaze now on a huge being. He was dirty, and menacing, with arrows and daggers glinting meanly on his belt.

"Well, hello there." Said Jack, with mock friendliness.

"Um…. Hello. I'm Daniel Jackson. That's Jack, this is Teal'c and that's Sam." Daniel motioned to each respective person. Jack rolled his eyes. He hated Daniel's "We come here in peace" speech.

The creature just stared at them.

"For cryin' out loud." Jack exploded, "What do ya want!"

It glared at him, pulling him up by the arm.

"You are no use. You go." It said, in a deep, croaky voice.

"Um… thanks?" Jack said, looking around.

He helped Daniel and Teal'c up, and made his way over to Sam.

"No." growled the creature, "Female stay."

Jack whipped around, "We're not leaving without her."

The creature bore down on him, brandishing a threateningly long blade. Jack stood his ground.

"She comes." He whispered, a dangerous tone in his voice. "I'm not leaving her."

The thing pressed the knife into his neck, making a small red slit.

"She stay." It snarled, "She mine now. Go or you die."

"Colonel, please," Sam whimpered, close to tears. If there was one thing that would get to her, it was Jack. "Please go. I'll be okay."

"No! I'm not losing you!" Jack shouted at her, tears burning his eyes.

"I'll be okay. I'll find a way out." She murmured to the ground.

Daniel came up behind Jack. "We go now." He said to the being.

It lowed it's knife and Daniel took Jack by the arm, pulling him outside. Jack looked over his shoulder, defeated. He mouthed "I love you" before turning away. He knew it would be pointless to fight back.

Teal'c turned to follow.

"We shall return for you, Major Carter." He said softly. "Colonel O'Neill will make sure of it."

A/N: Yeah... I know... drastic turn... sorry


End file.
